I suppose if i had to characterize it, it would be as the heedless, wanting mind instead of the tranquil and serene mind that comes with practice. Its really a process tho whose end result is that heedless wanting mind.
Mara, to me, is i guess just a personification of the poisons.

“The truth knocks on the door and you say, "Go away, I'm looking for the truth," and so it goes away. Puzzling.” ― Robert M. Pirsig

To me, Mara is my negative parts, my sloth, my anger, my greed, my lust, my doubt, my bad habits, etc etc.
I like to talk about Mara as if he's an actual real demonic superbeing who attacks people to distract them from what really matters. But I don't believe that in the least.
However, the suttas are pretty definite that he's an actual being. But I'm okay with not believing everything the suttas say literally.

Even the arahat Moggalana was actually Mara in a previous life!

At that time, Moggallana was Mara, chief of demons, lord of the lower worlds, and his name was Mara Dusi. He had a sister by name of Kali whose son was to become the Mara of our age. Majjhima Nikaya No. 50

Then,
saturated with joy,
you will put an end to suffering and stress.SN 9.11

Māra Devaputta, the celestial villain of the sixth devaloka, the “Tempter” and the embodiment of evil.

Kilesas, the ten defilements.

Abhisaṅkhāra, kamma or volitional action.

Khandha, continued existence.

Maccu, death.

Some take the view that it only means the defilements, that Māra devaputta is just a manifestation of one's own fears and other defilements. However, how can one explain then that Māra appeared to the Buddha on several occasions during his life, after he had vanquished all defilements at the foot of the Bodhi tree?

Also, how do we explain the Māratajjaniya Sutta, in which Venerable Moggallāna admonishes Māra and warns him of the consequences of harassing a disciple of the Buddha?

If we have never seen a ghost, or deva, or brahma, or a māra, we will have to believe or disbelieve these accounts. Its not within the range of our direct knowledge, and idle speculation is the work of Māra.

The defilements are visible here and now. Endless volitional activity (abhisankhāra māra) is visible here and now. Death (maccu māra) is all around us in the news every day, though we tend to ignore it.

The five aggregates are visible here and now. As for Māra devaputta, let me know if you see him?

I have this curiosity, why such a powerful deva like Mara is against Buddhism? He must done some great deeds to be born as high level deva and he must have some kinds of divine eye to know about kamma, why Maras have such kind of attitude?

Why are some multi-millionaires so opposed to religion? They must have done some powerful kamma to become multi-millionaires. Why are not all of them strongly inclined to do charitable works for their well-being in future existences?

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:Why are some multi-millionaires so opposed to religion? They must have done some powerful kamma to become multi-millionaires. Why are not all of them strongly inclined to do charitable works for their well-being in future existences?

Cause and effect.....Being rich now because of previous life.....equally strong, being poor because of previous life.....better to be in the middle.
Rich does not allow one to see as they are "blinded" by the money.....as they know in this life they do not need it.....nor will they ever question future existence.
Poor does not allow one to see as they are "struggling" with debt and work keeps their time occupied.

One will not "do" if one cannot "see"............The purpose is to escape and to be free!

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_

There is also five kinds of Mara in my belief, as you list in the post and explained in the link above (I found the link in one of the earlier posts about Mara in this forum. You was part of that discussion as well).

It is the appearance of Mara that is not so clear. Is this a physical appearance you think, ie. can be touch, seen, talked to like anything else that is worldly, or is this an appearance we cannot see with our physical five senses?

Questions and reflections around reproofing the Buddhas teaching is not idle speculation, for me at least. For me it is the way towards recognizing the sublime Dhamma.

Why are some multi-millionaires so opposed to religion? They must have done some powerful kamma to become multi-millionaires. Why are not all of them strongly inclined to do charitable works for their well-being in future existences?

If you don't know any multi-millionaires or all, is this not idle speculation?

Caraka wrote:
It is the appearance of Mara that is not so clear. Is this a physical appearance you think, ie. can be touch, seen, talked to like anything else that is worldly, or is this an appearance we cannot see with our physical five senses?

Hi,

Your question relates to the invisible world, devas.

One of the monk I knew claimed that he attained jhanas and has the knowledge of that world explained that it is the realm of consciousness which why modern science can't easily measure it. By consciousness, most people will think it is subjective, but I think about something as objective consciousness. I don't know much but I think revolution new views/ methods are needed to understand this realm in modern language.

Also, modern understanding of consciousness is indirectly through physical world, i.e measure physical state of the brain. Consciousness is a key problem in human history, it is so obvious to human but is very hard/ impossible to measure directly in physical world that why most scientists easily accept consciousness is something physical, i.e the current in brain, but in reality, it is not.

Mara is consciousness' home, the opposite of homelessness, the lord of limitations.

"Monks, what a man wills, what he plans, what he dwells on forms the basis for the continuation of consciousness.[2] This basis being present, consciousness has a lodgment. Consciousness being lodged there and growing, rebirth of renewed existence takes place in the future, and from this renewed existence arise birth, decay-and-death, grief, lamentation, suffering, sorrow and despair. Such is the uprising of this entire mass of suffering.

"Even if a man does not will and plan, yet if he dwells on something this forms a basis for the continuation of consciousness:... rebirth... takes place...

"But if a man neither wills nor plans nor dwells on anything, no basis is formed for the continuation of consciousness. This basis being absent, consciousness has no lodgment. Consciousness not being lodged there and not growing, no rebirth of renewed existence takes place in the future, and so birth, decay-and-death, grief, lamentation, suffering, sorrow and despair are destroyed. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering."

A physical home is often an incrediple reflextion of an consciousness home. Mara is not easy seen. Throw away the key and he appears, even before you do, even before you would give it a thought. There are two kinds of Wandering on.

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_